Assistant Service Manager

2degrees north coffee co. pte. ltd.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Populus Cafe is seeking an Assistant Service Manager to bridge traditional service excellence with data-driven operational strategy in Singapore. You will partner with the Service Manager to lead daily operations, drive process improvements, and own our dashboards that track labour, sales, and waste.

You will design staff schedules, manage centralised orders across dine-in, takeaway, and delivery, and implement systems to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations and drive process improvements to enhance guest satisfaction and team productivity.
• Own operational systems and transform data into actionable strategies to improve business performance.
• Design shift schedules informed by traffic forecasts, balancing operational needs with staff wellbeing.
• Review workforce data to identify patterns in attendance, overtime, and productivity, then implement measures to control labour costs.
• Administer centralised order management for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery; prioritise kitchen queue and reduce errors.
• Conduct automated stock takes and trigger PO generation to prevent shortages and over-ordering.
• Compile weekly dashboards covering labour efficiency, sales mix, and waste to identify trends and improvement areas.
• Lead onboarding and upskilling of team members on operational platforms; deliver short training sessions.
• Lead pre-shift briefings, mentor staff on hospitality standards, and address escalated guest complaints with professionalism.
• Design a guest engagement framework capturing feedback across touchpoints and monitor online reputation.

Job description

About The Populus Cafe

We are a modern hospitality brand dedicated to crafting memorable dining experiences through

quality food, warm hospitality, and continuous innovation. As we scale our operations, we are

seeking an Assistant Service Manager who can bridge traditional service excellence with data-

driven operational strategy.

Role Summary

You will partner with the Service Manager to lead daily operations while driving process

improvements that enhance guest satisfaction, team productivity, and cost efficiency. You will own

our operational systems, transforming data into actionable strategies that improve business performance

1. Workforce Optimisation & Labour Analytics

• Design shift schedules informed by traffic forecasts, balancing operational needs with team wellbeing.
• Review workforce data to identify patterns in attendance, overtime, and productivity, then implement measures to control labour costs.
• Use digital communication tools to broadcast shift updates, policy changes, and training resources, ensuring full staff visibility and acknowledgement.

2. Order & Inventory Management

• Administer the centralised order management system to consolidate all incoming orders— dine-in, takeaway, and delivery—ensuring the kitchen receives a unified, prioritised queue that reduces errors and speeds up ticket fulfilment.
• Conduct stock takes through automated inventory tracking. Configure system triggers to auto-generate supplier purchase orders when stock levels fall below par, preventing shortages and over-ordering.
• Review sales and inventory reports to identify top-performing and slow-moving items, producing data-backed recommendations for menu adjustments or promotions.

3. Data-Driven Operational Decision Making

• Compile weekly operational dashboards—covering labour efficiency, sales mix, and waste—to identify trends and improvement areas.
• Lead weekly review sessions with the Restaurant Manager, presenting data insights and recommending proactive interventions.
• Align sales forecasts with inventory par levels and staffing to ensure the cafe is prepared for demand fluctuations.

4. Guest Experience Enhancement through Insight

• Analyse order data and feedback logs to identify friction points in the customer journey— peak-hour bottlenecks, frequent order modifications, or recurring service gaps.
• Design service recovery protocols that address systemic issues, with outcomes tracked through operational data.
• Partner with marketing on promotions based on sales data, targeting underperforming dayparts or menu categories.

5. System & Work Process Improvement

• Evaluate existing workflows and identify opportunities for automation or streamlining to reduce manual effort and errors.
• Lead the implementation of new system features or operational changes, managing communication with staff, vendors, and senior management while tracking adoption and feedback.
• Document and implement process enhancements that deliver measurable efficiency gains.

6. Team Capability Building & Development

• Assess competency gaps among floor staff and design workplace learning initiatives that build digital proficiency and service standards.
• Lead onboarding and continuous upskilling of all team members on operational platforms, ensuring confident and competent system use.
• Deliver short training sessions on emerging topics—upselling techniques, service recovery, or using digital tools—to keep the team agile.

7. Service Leadership & Conflict Resolution

• Lead pre-shift briefings and mentor service staff on hospitality standards, upselling, and service recovery protocols.
• Model service excellence and foster a culture of accountability, empathy, and continuous improvement.
• Address escalated guest complaints and mediate staff disagreements with professionalism and composure.

8. Customer Experience Management

• Design a guest engagement framework that captures feedback across multiple touchpoints—in-person, digital surveys, and social channels.
• Analyse feedback themes to identify experience gaps and propose improvement projects that build loyalty.
• Monitor online reputation and develop a structured response protocol that turns negative reviews into opportunities for brand reinforcement.